Ajay Kumar Bhalla, former Union Home Secretary, has been appointed as the new Governor of Manipur. The official notification about this appointment was released by Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. The appointment of Bhalla has come at a crucial juncture for the state, which has been facing ethnic conflict since May 2023.
Violent clashes, mostly between the majority Meitei population of predominantly Hindu faith and the Kuki community, which is largely Christian, have caused severe unrest in Manipur for almost one year. Bhalla has a long experience in administration as Union Home Secretary, which is expected to help resolve some issues within the ongoing crisis.
Succeeds Lakshman Prasad Acharya
Ajay Kumar Bhalla would replace Lakshman Prasad Acharya, who on 31 July 2023 assumed office as the Governor of Manipur. His tenure was marked by an aggravated spree of ethnic tensions affecting the state, which challenged governance in a significant way.
Accepting the office of the new Governor of Manipur, Bhalla, will now be mandated to mend fissures of ethnic discord and forge his peace in a pot of violence in the state. Politics and social tensions in the state would require a deft and strategic approach along with the complex relations existing between Meitei and Kuki people.
Other Governor appointments
Other gubernatorial changes include the induction of former Army Chief General Vijay Kumar Singh as the new Governor of Mizoram. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has been given the additional charge of Bihar Governor, while former Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati has been appointed as the new Governor of Odisha, taking over from Mizoram. The changes are part of the larger plan for reshuffling critical Indian government positions.
